Previously the court heard that between January 1999 and July 2004 they claimed money from the Dental Practice Board, both for ‘phantom patients’ and treatment that registered patients had never received.

They were caught out after the Welsh section of the Counter Fraud Service investigated them following a tip-off.

Justin Gau, prosecuting, told the court how Newton Johnson’s sister’s pet dog called Varlo was on the patient list as ‘Varlo Johnson’.

Mr Gau added: ‘They were saying to the public purse ‘open wide’ and performing a series of illegal extractions.

‘The fillings they performed were the fillings of their own wallets.’

Johnson’s barrister, Jim Davis, said the couple, who could not afford to repay the money, faced ‘absolute ruin’.

Judge Keith Thomas said the offending had been ‘serious, substantial and prolonged’.